Rad-Can's Sylvain Lafrance and PK Peladeau settle dispute

The VP of Radio-Canada, Sylvain Lafrance, and the CEO of Quebecor, Pierre Karl Peladeau (aka PKP) have buried the hatchet.

Today they settled a defamation suit PKP launched against Lafrance in 2007 after Lafrance said PKP was acting like a ~thug ("voyou" - a rather high-profile insult in France these days) when Quebecor stopped contributing to the Canadian Television Fund. The comment was reported. PKP wanted $700,000 in damages.

Instead, Lafrance and Radio-Canada issued a public statement saying they regret that the comments were taken in offence.

All right, then.

NDP drops ball on major cultural issue

While the Bloc and the Greens support increasing CBC’s funding considerably, the NDP merely vows to “maintain the CBC’s current levels of funding until Canada’s budgetary outlook improves.” The Liberals promise “stable and predictable funding” and the Conservatives didn’t even answer the Guild’s survey.

• Bloc: increase CBC/Radio-Canada funding to at least $40 per Canadian and Quebecker per year (some $230 million)
• The Greens: increase CBC/Radio Canada funding by $450 million over the next three years
• The NDP: stable funding until federal budget outlook improves
• The Libs: stable and predictable funding
• The Cons: NO ANSWER

In the last two elections, the NDP has promised an increase to CBC funding.

Click here for the full answers provided by the parties on the questionnaire the Guild submitted to them on April 5.